August 16, The Iran Project - Al-Masdar News claims that the strategic TU-22M3 bombers took flight from southern Russia at Modzok airfield; reporting that the newly signed military agreement with Iran will allow Russia to reduce flight time by 60%, saving the Kremlin both money and improving airstrike effectiveness.

The distance of these flights equal roughly 2,150km to reach a target near Palmyra. In comparison, the Hamedan Air Base in Iran is roughly 900km from Palmyra,Al-Masdar said.

The Khmeimim Airbase in Latakia province – which Russia was granted access to in late 2015 – is not suitable for the massive TU-22M3, one of the largest bomber jets in the world.

The Russian military is yet to announce how many TU-22M3 will be operating from the Iranian airbase, the Arab media added.

It  added that Russia also requested Iraq and Iran airspace allowance to transport cruise missiles into Syria.

It should be mentioned that no Iranian or Russian official has yet to confirm the report, and Russian media have refused to react so far.

It's not the first time that some media claimed such a thing. In November, some sources revealed a satellite image that showed RuAF Su-34 at the Hamedan Air Base.

Al-Masdar News has  also claimed that obtained some exclusive photos of Russian warplanes being deployed to the Hamedan Air Base in western Iran.